Well, that's another TV season done for the year
TV shows are done for the season for the most part. Some thoughts:
- Castle: The resolution for Castle's disappearance was a bit of a letdown. I mean, we find out what happened to him, and it mostly made sense, but there was some weird memory wipe stuff going on that would have fitted better on a sci fi show. Further proof that Castle is secretly a sci fi show in disguise. I'll keep watching next season (because of Nathan Fillion), but I don't know where they're going with Beckett running for senate. Maybe she'll become a senator and that's when they'll end the show.
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The show is definitely better, but it could still approve a bit more. Its strength is its weakness, too. There's a lot of baggage to deal with when it constantly has to tie in with Marvel Cinematic Universe. The introduction of the Inhumans probably only happened to set up the movie that's coming in a few years. It makes a lot of the developments less organic in my mind.
I don't have too much to say, so random: Ward is most definitely a bad guy now. I appreciate that they didn't try to redeem him. They killed Edward James Olmos' character! Not cool. I was hoping he could hang around for the next season. I guess they like killing off anyone who's been on Battlestar Galactica. Coulson getting his hand chopped off? Whoa and ick, but smart of Mack. I'm sure Coulson can get a bionic hand from Tony. I'm glad we got to see May's backstory. No wonder she doesn't like being called the Calvary. And what was up with that Inhuman stone thingy? Simmons better be all right or I'll be sad. She and Fitz were finally getting their relationship back together. And I can't believe they blew up the Bus!!! It's like blowing up Serenity or the Enterprise. I guess next season they'll have an episode tying in the Captain America: Civil War since that will coming out during season three. Man, that's going to shake things up yet again.
- The Flash: I'm super impressed by this show. For its first season, it was really good. I think it was even better than Arrow this season. The writers and producers' willingness to embrace some of the wackiness from the comics really helped. Rampaging psychic gorilla, body stealing, time travel. Time travel! Most show don't go there in their first season, but it made sense for The Flash.
And I was surprised they had Barry travelling back in time this season. It seemed like an idea they would save for a later season, but nope. At least Barry can move on now. I was also surprised by how low key the finale was. Usually, finales are wall to wall action, but "Fast Enough" was mostly people having meaningful conversations. The actiony stuff didn't come until, like, the last ten minutes. So, kudos, Flash writers, for taking a different approach. And they didn't have Barry preventing his mom's death, which was also a nice plot turn. He has a good life; why change on the off chance that he might have something better. But seriously? Barry is going to run fast enough to stop the gravitational pull of a black hole?!?
I'm glad they finally let Iris in on Barry's secret identity. It should help to make her character more interesting. She was always off on the sidelines, looking a little dumb, because no one told her what the stakes were. Now she can be more proactive and helpful. She's still the Love Interest, though, but I'm hopefully they'll down play that side of her character for a bit. With Eddie dead, she's not going to jump into a relationship with Barry right away. And poor Eddie. He had more to do than Iris, but he always felt a little superfluous to me. Turns out, the only reason his character was around was to die at the end. Well, that, and to be part of a pointless love triangle. It's like, the writers didn't know what to do with him. But considering he got sucked into a black hole, I'm sure he ends up in the future and is brought back with some tech. Then Eddie can come back as a villain or something.
And not to get super geeky or anything, but if Eobard was never born, shouldn't that have reset the timeline? Because if he was never born, he never went back in time to kill Barry's mom, and he never would have been trapped in the past, and he never would have killed Wells and stolen his identity, and he never would have created the particle accelerator accident. Or, is it because Eobard created an alternative timeline that nothing was affected? Guh, time travel and alternative realities; it makes my head spin sometimes. But it's cool that they addressed the idea. Eobard messed up the original timeline by going back in time. That means there was a timeline where Barry didn't become the Flash until much later and he grew up with his mom and dad. Maybe we'll get to visit those alternative timelines in another season.
I had hoped they would set up the spin-off, but all we got was a quick shot of Kendra (Hawkgirl) and a mention of Rip Hunter. The shot of Eobard in the time machine from the Legends of Tomorrow trailer was stolen from this episode; gee, thanks for the spoiler. I suppose we'll get more set up next season. I was half convinced that Ronnie would die. Robbie Amell isn't signed up for the spin-off, so I was assuming the worst about him. But he lives to combust another day so something else must happen to him. Oh, and I have to say that I'm loving Professor Stein. He's so funny. His line about saying "Eureka" or "Excelsior" if Barry manages to create a stable wormhole just made me laugh. I foresee him having some great one liners on Legends of Tomorrow.
Random thoughts: Jay Garrick's helmet! I read they're going to do Earth-2 next season so maybe we'll get to see some Earth-2 heroes. There were also shots of Barry's supposed future. They had a quick shot from the LoT trailer but there was also a glimpse of a Flash museum? I'm tempted to watch that scene over, just to see what the producers threw in. Oh, and last week. Ferris Air in Central City was shut down because one of its test pilots disappeared. So Hal Jordan exists in the Arrowverse! Maybe they'll have him on a future season of LoT. So Cisco is a metahuman. I guess they're setting him up to become Vibe. Oh, and Caitlin is a metahuman, too, going off the quick shot of her as Killer Frost. I hope that doesn't happen for a little bit. I prefer her as a member of Team Flash.
- iZombie: The show is still on, so I don't have much to say, but I am digging the crime fighting zombie premise. It's a refreshing take on the "someone who isn't a cop helps out the police department to solve crimes" formula. The show really feels like Veronica Mars became a zombie. The same tone is there.
- Arrow: I will freely admit that I didn't enjoy this season as much as last season. The flashback plot was terribly weak and the main arc was a slow burn. I also didn't like the fact that they killed Sara. She was basically fridged for the sake of the arc. Of course, now she's back for LoT but it still doesn't make it right. Though, I will admit, it gave Laurel a better character arc than last season. Last season she was a drunk, but this season, she took up the Canary mantle to honour Sara, but it really screwed up her relationship with her father. Her friendship with Nyssa was interesting as well. We had actual conversations from them! No talking about their problems with men. Laurel seems more competent as a fighter, now, so maybe she'll kick more ass next season.
Felicity, on the other hand, oh boy. Her arc was tedious. I swear she spent the entire season crying. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved seeing her and Ollie finally addressing their UST, but she was suddenly the Love Interest. Her relationships with Ollie and Ray became her primary trait. Yes, she was still Tech Support-Gal Friday, but it took a back seat to her relationship angst. I really hope that next season she isn't attached to the hip with Ollie. Let them be a cute couple, but allow her to do her own things.
Surprisingly, none of the main characters died this season. Roy had to give up being Arsenal, but it looks like Thea gets to be Speedy next season. It doesn't seem quite right, to trade one for the other, but Roy never had much to do. Thea is slightly more interesting, since she's Ollie's sister. Like Laurel before her, she didn't have much to do as a character, but now that she's a member of Team Arrow, she can be more involved. And more ladies than guys on the team; I like it. Were they hinting that Diggle will get a costume? He needs a mask for sure. He can't keep running around in his civilian duds.
Surprise crossovers at the end. I didn't quite agree with them. While I do love a crossover, it didn't seem right, bringing in another hero to solve the problem. It felt too convenient. It's fine with it's an adventure in the middle of the season, but when it's the finale, the hero needs to stand on their own. Though, it was damn cool seeing Barry team up with Ollie and Firestorm. But the timeline didn't make any sense. When did Ollie have time to go to Central City? He was with the League of Assassins by the time he returned to Starling. He was able to sneak away for a little bit? And how did he know to help out Barry? He wasn't exactly in contact with his friends when Barry called. The same goes for Barry's appearance on Arrow. When did someone tell Barry to head to Nanda Parbat to save everyone? Did Malcolm get a message to him? Despite this, I want more crossovers next season. They don't have to be big events; it'd just be fun to have characters popping up on either show.
Random: So, Malcolm Merlyn is basically immortal now? He is head of the League, which means he has easy access to the Lazarus Pit. God, it's hard not to think that Malcolm is actually Captain Jack. But why couldn't Nyssa be head of the League? Though, I would also accept her as a main character for next season. Ray was amusing, but I'm glad he's heading to LoT. He's far too happy and bright to be on Arrow. I hope the flashbacks next season are more interesting. Ollie in Hong Kong got boring towards the end. And I don't quite buy that Thea can fit into Roy's Arsenal hoodie. I know they're the same height, but it's fitted for a muscular guy, not a lithe woman. Or maybe the laces on it are functional rather than decorative.
- Orphan Black: It's still on, but I liked the Helena's dream sequence that started off the premiere. It's always nice to see all of the clones together in a scene. For the rest of the season they're always apart.
Oh, and the Supergirl pilot is online. Was it leaked so people could gain a better impression from the show? Maybe.
I will say that I wish the show was part of the Arrowverse. They could easily get around any continuity problems by implying that Supergirl is set a few years in the future. So Barry and Ollie have been active and public heroes for a while and Superman just made his debut, which would explain why no one knew about a flying guy in blue tights when the Flash and the Arrow were just starting out. Is there room to slip in references to The Flash and Arrow? Maybe, but so far it's implied that Superman is the only superhero. Perhaps he's the only superhero known about the world and the Flash and the Arrow are sort of urban legends.
Overall, the pilot isn't that bad. It is a pilot so it has to do a lot in 45 minutes. I'm hopeful that it turns out like The Flash; that everything will become better as the season goes along. But there's one dumb thing that really bugged me: the characters cannot say "Superman". Kara calls him her cousin and we get other things like the big guy, the guy in blue, and the Man of Steel. Is this a thing from DC? It's like if there were a show about Nightwing and they weren't allowed to say Batman.
And stunt casting! Kara's adoptive parents are played by Helen Slater and Dean Cain. So that's Supergirl and Clark's birth mother from Smallville and a Superman. I'm sure there will be more to come if the show goes on for a while. Just look at Smallville; they had a ton of actors from the movies and other TV shows. But that's the advantage of Superman shows: they do have a large pool to draw from. There was also a reference to Otto Binder, the creator Supergirl. That was a nice nod.
Well, now I have the summer to do other things like knit and get caught up on my video games.
- Castle: The resolution for Castle's disappearance was a bit of a letdown. I mean, we find out what happened to him, and it mostly made sense, but there was some weird memory wipe stuff going on that would have fitted better on a sci fi show. Further proof that Castle is secretly a sci fi show in disguise. I'll keep watching next season (because of Nathan Fillion), but I don't know where they're going with Beckett running for senate. Maybe she'll become a senator and that's when they'll end the show.
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The show is definitely better, but it could still approve a bit more. Its strength is its weakness, too. There's a lot of baggage to deal with when it constantly has to tie in with Marvel Cinematic Universe. The introduction of the Inhumans probably only happened to set up the movie that's coming in a few years. It makes a lot of the developments less organic in my mind.
I don't have too much to say, so random: Ward is most definitely a bad guy now. I appreciate that they didn't try to redeem him. They killed Edward James Olmos' character! Not cool. I was hoping he could hang around for the next season. I guess they like killing off anyone who's been on Battlestar Galactica. Coulson getting his hand chopped off? Whoa and ick, but smart of Mack. I'm sure Coulson can get a bionic hand from Tony. I'm glad we got to see May's backstory. No wonder she doesn't like being called the Calvary. And what was up with that Inhuman stone thingy? Simmons better be all right or I'll be sad. She and Fitz were finally getting their relationship back together. And I can't believe they blew up the Bus!!! It's like blowing up Serenity or the Enterprise. I guess next season they'll have an episode tying in the Captain America: Civil War since that will coming out during season three. Man, that's going to shake things up yet again.
- The Flash: I'm super impressed by this show. For its first season, it was really good. I think it was even better than Arrow this season. The writers and producers' willingness to embrace some of the wackiness from the comics really helped. Rampaging psychic gorilla, body stealing, time travel. Time travel! Most show don't go there in their first season, but it made sense for The Flash.
And I was surprised they had Barry travelling back in time this season. It seemed like an idea they would save for a later season, but nope. At least Barry can move on now. I was also surprised by how low key the finale was. Usually, finales are wall to wall action, but "Fast Enough" was mostly people having meaningful conversations. The actiony stuff didn't come until, like, the last ten minutes. So, kudos, Flash writers, for taking a different approach. And they didn't have Barry preventing his mom's death, which was also a nice plot turn. He has a good life; why change on the off chance that he might have something better. But seriously? Barry is going to run fast enough to stop the gravitational pull of a black hole?!?
I'm glad they finally let Iris in on Barry's secret identity. It should help to make her character more interesting. She was always off on the sidelines, looking a little dumb, because no one told her what the stakes were. Now she can be more proactive and helpful. She's still the Love Interest, though, but I'm hopefully they'll down play that side of her character for a bit. With Eddie dead, she's not going to jump into a relationship with Barry right away. And poor Eddie. He had more to do than Iris, but he always felt a little superfluous to me. Turns out, the only reason his character was around was to die at the end. Well, that, and to be part of a pointless love triangle. It's like, the writers didn't know what to do with him. But considering he got sucked into a black hole, I'm sure he ends up in the future and is brought back with some tech. Then Eddie can come back as a villain or something.
And not to get super geeky or anything, but if Eobard was never born, shouldn't that have reset the timeline? Because if he was never born, he never went back in time to kill Barry's mom, and he never would have been trapped in the past, and he never would have killed Wells and stolen his identity, and he never would have created the particle accelerator accident. Or, is it because Eobard created an alternative timeline that nothing was affected? Guh, time travel and alternative realities; it makes my head spin sometimes. But it's cool that they addressed the idea. Eobard messed up the original timeline by going back in time. That means there was a timeline where Barry didn't become the Flash until much later and he grew up with his mom and dad. Maybe we'll get to visit those alternative timelines in another season.
I had hoped they would set up the spin-off, but all we got was a quick shot of Kendra (Hawkgirl) and a mention of Rip Hunter. The shot of Eobard in the time machine from the Legends of Tomorrow trailer was stolen from this episode; gee, thanks for the spoiler. I suppose we'll get more set up next season. I was half convinced that Ronnie would die. Robbie Amell isn't signed up for the spin-off, so I was assuming the worst about him. But he lives to combust another day so something else must happen to him. Oh, and I have to say that I'm loving Professor Stein. He's so funny. His line about saying "Eureka" or "Excelsior" if Barry manages to create a stable wormhole just made me laugh. I foresee him having some great one liners on Legends of Tomorrow.
Random thoughts: Jay Garrick's helmet! I read they're going to do Earth-2 next season so maybe we'll get to see some Earth-2 heroes. There were also shots of Barry's supposed future. They had a quick shot from the LoT trailer but there was also a glimpse of a Flash museum? I'm tempted to watch that scene over, just to see what the producers threw in. Oh, and last week. Ferris Air in Central City was shut down because one of its test pilots disappeared. So Hal Jordan exists in the Arrowverse! Maybe they'll have him on a future season of LoT. So Cisco is a metahuman. I guess they're setting him up to become Vibe. Oh, and Caitlin is a metahuman, too, going off the quick shot of her as Killer Frost. I hope that doesn't happen for a little bit. I prefer her as a member of Team Flash.
- iZombie: The show is still on, so I don't have much to say, but I am digging the crime fighting zombie premise. It's a refreshing take on the "someone who isn't a cop helps out the police department to solve crimes" formula. The show really feels like Veronica Mars became a zombie. The same tone is there.
- Arrow: I will freely admit that I didn't enjoy this season as much as last season. The flashback plot was terribly weak and the main arc was a slow burn. I also didn't like the fact that they killed Sara. She was basically fridged for the sake of the arc. Of course, now she's back for LoT but it still doesn't make it right. Though, I will admit, it gave Laurel a better character arc than last season. Last season she was a drunk, but this season, she took up the Canary mantle to honour Sara, but it really screwed up her relationship with her father. Her friendship with Nyssa was interesting as well. We had actual conversations from them! No talking about their problems with men. Laurel seems more competent as a fighter, now, so maybe she'll kick more ass next season.
Felicity, on the other hand, oh boy. Her arc was tedious. I swear she spent the entire season crying. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved seeing her and Ollie finally addressing their UST, but she was suddenly the Love Interest. Her relationships with Ollie and Ray became her primary trait. Yes, she was still Tech Support-Gal Friday, but it took a back seat to her relationship angst. I really hope that next season she isn't attached to the hip with Ollie. Let them be a cute couple, but allow her to do her own things.
Surprisingly, none of the main characters died this season. Roy had to give up being Arsenal, but it looks like Thea gets to be Speedy next season. It doesn't seem quite right, to trade one for the other, but Roy never had much to do. Thea is slightly more interesting, since she's Ollie's sister. Like Laurel before her, she didn't have much to do as a character, but now that she's a member of Team Arrow, she can be more involved. And more ladies than guys on the team; I like it. Were they hinting that Diggle will get a costume? He needs a mask for sure. He can't keep running around in his civilian duds.
Surprise crossovers at the end. I didn't quite agree with them. While I do love a crossover, it didn't seem right, bringing in another hero to solve the problem. It felt too convenient. It's fine with it's an adventure in the middle of the season, but when it's the finale, the hero needs to stand on their own. Though, it was damn cool seeing Barry team up with Ollie and Firestorm. But the timeline didn't make any sense. When did Ollie have time to go to Central City? He was with the League of Assassins by the time he returned to Starling. He was able to sneak away for a little bit? And how did he know to help out Barry? He wasn't exactly in contact with his friends when Barry called. The same goes for Barry's appearance on Arrow. When did someone tell Barry to head to Nanda Parbat to save everyone? Did Malcolm get a message to him? Despite this, I want more crossovers next season. They don't have to be big events; it'd just be fun to have characters popping up on either show.
Random: So, Malcolm Merlyn is basically immortal now? He is head of the League, which means he has easy access to the Lazarus Pit. God, it's hard not to think that Malcolm is actually Captain Jack. But why couldn't Nyssa be head of the League? Though, I would also accept her as a main character for next season. Ray was amusing, but I'm glad he's heading to LoT. He's far too happy and bright to be on Arrow. I hope the flashbacks next season are more interesting. Ollie in Hong Kong got boring towards the end. And I don't quite buy that Thea can fit into Roy's Arsenal hoodie. I know they're the same height, but it's fitted for a muscular guy, not a lithe woman. Or maybe the laces on it are functional rather than decorative.
- Orphan Black: It's still on, but I liked the Helena's dream sequence that started off the premiere. It's always nice to see all of the clones together in a scene. For the rest of the season they're always apart.
Oh, and the Supergirl pilot is online. Was it leaked so people could gain a better impression from the show? Maybe.
I will say that I wish the show was part of the Arrowverse. They could easily get around any continuity problems by implying that Supergirl is set a few years in the future. So Barry and Ollie have been active and public heroes for a while and Superman just made his debut, which would explain why no one knew about a flying guy in blue tights when the Flash and the Arrow were just starting out. Is there room to slip in references to The Flash and Arrow? Maybe, but so far it's implied that Superman is the only superhero. Perhaps he's the only superhero known about the world and the Flash and the Arrow are sort of urban legends.
Overall, the pilot isn't that bad. It is a pilot so it has to do a lot in 45 minutes. I'm hopeful that it turns out like The Flash; that everything will become better as the season goes along. But there's one dumb thing that really bugged me: the characters cannot say "Superman". Kara calls him her cousin and we get other things like the big guy, the guy in blue, and the Man of Steel. Is this a thing from DC? It's like if there were a show about Nightwing and they weren't allowed to say Batman.
And stunt casting! Kara's adoptive parents are played by Helen Slater and Dean Cain. So that's Supergirl and Clark's birth mother from Smallville and a Superman. I'm sure there will be more to come if the show goes on for a while. Just look at Smallville; they had a ton of actors from the movies and other TV shows. But that's the advantage of Superman shows: they do have a large pool to draw from. There was also a reference to Otto Binder, the creator Supergirl. That was a nice nod.
Well, now I have the summer to do other things like knit and get caught up on my video games.